A few weeks back we reported on China closing Tibet to travelers in preparation for potential unrest in the country as the 50th anniversary of the Dalai Lama fleeing into exile grew near. Today marks that anniversary, and and in a attempted display of nationalism, Chinese President Hu has called for a “Great Wall against separatism” that would protect the unity of the “motherland” and ensure that Tibet stayed part of China. He also banished the Dalai Lama to the other side of that wall, despite the fact that he’s been in exile for 50 years.
In the past few days, leading up to this anniversary, there have been rumors of unrest in Tibet, but with no information flowing in and out of the country, it is impossible to confirm the reports. Foreign journalists were expelled from the Himalayan country and all travel visas have been denied for at least the month of March. Yesterday, the mobile telephone system was shut down, under the guise of system maintenance that will last for three weeks, and a variety of websites were being filtered for content as well.
The latest shutdown of the borders of Tibet comes just a few weeks before what is considered it’s traditional tourist season. The spring usually brings backpackers and mountain climbers focused on Everest or other major Himalayan peaks, but for the second year in a row, Tibet is closed off from the outside, and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future.